Ahead of President Biden’s commencement remarks Sunday at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a prestigious historically Black institution, the White House signaled some anxiety about the possibility of protests over the war in Gaza.
During a recent visit to Atlanta, Vice President Kamala Harris stopped to ask the president of Morehouse’s student government about sentiment on campus about the conflict, how students felt about Biden’s visit and what students wanted to hear from him. graduates. Later, the leader of the administration’s public engagement office and one of its highest-ranking black officials, Stephen K. Benjamin, visited the site to take the temperatures of students, faculty and administrators.
The cause for concern is clear: Nationwide protests over the war and Biden’s approach have inflamed more than 60 colleges and universities, stoked tensions within the Democratic Party and created new headaches for his re-election bid.
However, Biden appears to be entering a different kind of scene at Morehouse.
While anger over the war remains palpable at Morehouse and other historically black colleges and universities, these campuses have been largely free of unrest, and tensions are much less evident: there are no encampments, few loud protests, and few signs of Palestinian flags fluttering from bedroom windows.
The reasons arise from political, cultural and socioeconomic differences with other higher education institutions. While HBCUs are home to a variety of political opinions, domestic concerns tend to outweigh foreign policy in the minds of most students. Many started lower on the economic ladder and are more focused on their education and job prospects after graduation.
At Morehouse, which has a legacy of civil rights protests and is the alma mater of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., discontent over the Gaza war has manifested itself in classrooms and auditoriums more than on campus lawns. .
“This should not be a place that cancels people regardless of whether we agree with them,” David Thomas, president of Morehouse, said in an interview earlier this month. Of Mr. Biden’s visit, he said: “Whether people support the decision or not, they are committed to making this happen on our campus in a way that does not undermine the integrity or dignity of the school.”
Some students have held contentious meetings with university leaders and urged them to rescind Biden’s invitation, and a small group of professors have vowed not to attend graduation. Some alumni wrote a letter expressing concern that student protesters could be punished, highlighting Morehouse’s history of “celebrating student activists long after they have graduated.”
But the college visit might seem safer politically for the president than many others. Morehouse is a personalized place where college students traditionally don’t set foot on the grass in the heart of campus until they receive their degrees. Alumni view graduation as a distinguished event not only for students but also for dozens of family and community members, making it a less likely site for a major disruption.
kitty bennett contributed to the research.
